How we Got Mules!

A life long love of horses has taken Shannon many interesting places and given her the opportunity to meet a wide range of people. Having started riding lessons in England at the age of six,then moving back to the U.S. in 1981. After years of showing Hunters and in All-Around divisions on the Quarter Horse Circuit she started trail riding, judging open horse shows and teaching horsemanship at 4-H camp.
A desire to try something new led her to mules and she has been hooked on the long ears ever since. Today she owns three Belgian Draft Mules and one Mammoth Donkey. She trail rides, shows English and Western, rides in parades, packs, drives and will try anything at least once with her mules.

Monday, April 16, 2012

Aimee and I headed up to Lexington, VA to the Virginia Horse Center on Thursday April 12th. We got settled in and I rode Seven to get him ready for the filming of the audition for the American's Favorite Trial Horse video Competition that I entered. We gave him a quick but cold bath and then clipped him up.The next morning we met Robin from ACTHA and she helped us do some filming in the arena and then Aimee and I headed up to cross country course and did some more filming.I should have the American's Favorite Trail Horse Video ready soon!Seven was really good all weekend. He had to be alone in those stalls at VA Horse Park for one night and also riding alone.

This is video from the Open Trail Competition that was part of the Great American Trail Horse Sale. Not one of our more proud moments, but very funny all the same. (the video starts about 1/2 way through the course)The Judges told me they thought I had the whole course won, till the cow!!! I was the first to go so I had know idea what to expect!I was to drag the cow at a trot and them lift it up and drop it into the trash can. Seven was fine with dragging the cow but did not like it raising up near his feet and legs!Mule people can appreciate this moment!!!

When he bolted I dropped the rope but the tip of it got stuck between my saddle and my leg, that was trying to hold on to the bolting mule, so he dragged more than I wanted! I did not fall off and no one got hurt! Thankfully!Joe Most one of the Judges said he was very impressed by how I stayed right with that mule. He also said that the cow flying out of the arena on the end of the rope really tickled him!

Jackie let me take the stuffed cow home to work with. It was playing with Levi with it, because he started barking at it. When all of a sudden it got knocked out of my hands from behind. I thought is might be Dad or someone pulling at it for fun but it was my huge cat attacking it. Aimee said she saw him jump at it from behind me and knocked it right out of my hands! Thank fully he doesn't have any claws! I laughed till I nearly cried!

If anyone had old giant stuffed animals they want to donate to Seven, please let me know!

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

After having an Horsemanship Epiphany last year I decided to finally do something about it! I have known and respected Linda Hoover for the last 15 years. She is very advanced and a great teacher. I emailed her about taking some lessons and we found a time she was going to be in Apex, NC at a local farm. The owner is kind enough to let me use her arena for a small arena fee!So excited! I took off from my farm early Saturday (4/7) and pickup you Susan on the way. Susan took lots of photos and video for me!As we got started I was so excited because this is the refinement of horsemanship I have been wanting to learn. Linda is a great teacher, very positive and thoughtful! She said that we would have to start from the beginning, working on getting a lifting from his top line so that he could learn to balance better with his hind end and move with more softness. She also said that we bring a lot to the table!We had to go and change bits during the lesson, but she went over four different exercises for us to work on till we can come for another lesson. My only regret is that I did not start this Journey with her, years ago!

On March 30th Seven, Tara's Jesse Mule, Levi and I headed down to South Carolina to Lake View Plantation for a Carolina Mule Ride. It worked out that is was going to be a smaller group and all Ladies too!Levi is still learning how to relax and just enjoy the ride, but he finally settled down and took a long nap!We arrived and picked out a good place to camp! Holly and Linda soon arrived and then Tara and Jessica.We went out for a short ride on Friday afternoon. It was a good trail and very pretty but the mosquitos were terrible! We lost the marks of the trail when we were 3/4 of the way done, so we just turned around and followed the same trail back. The only problem was that the markers were on the other side of the tree. I just layed my rein down and told Seven to take us home! He sure did, he pick every single turn to take us home, with out making one mistake! I would look behind and double check to make sure we were still on the same trail but I didn't need to! WOW!

We hung out at the trailers, had a nice dinner, then turned in for bed. It rained a few times over night but no big thunderstorms.

Saturday morning was beautiful, all five of us rode out with lots of bug spray on! It was a wonderful ride, we took the green trail which is 10.8 miles. We came in around 1:30, just in time to put the tack away and sit under the awning while it lightly showered. We had such a nice ride and then a nice relaxing time that afternoon. Levi tried to dig a hole to China. We never could figure out what he was going after!

Seven was not to happy about getting a quick bath so that he would be clean for the Trail Obstacle Competition on Sunday.

On Sunday morning I packed up and drove out at 6:30AM! We were headed for Denton for the Trail Obstacle Race. Holly and Linda when on another ride and had a great time!Tara and Jessica left to go and pick up a show horse for Jessica to train and then headed home.

Seven, Levi and I got to the Trail Obstacle Competition by 11AM, much later that I normally want to arrive. I quickly got tacked up and Brock told us the course. Reed Tucker was there too and she filmed me doing the course. Leisha had me go first because we needed some time in between competitors for me to be able to then film Reed and Fortune's go.Seven did everything really well. He sure enjoys doing these courses and stayed relaxed during the whole thing. Brock was disappointed that Seven and I did the pin wheel (two barrels and a board to be swung all the way around) very well. He was hoping he found an obstacle that might give us some trouble.Seven ended up winning the Open class! I was very pleased and put all my winnings right into my gas tank!!! UGH!!! Reed and Fortune got 5th with a very good run!Here is a photo taken by the Photographer took of us crossing the water!Here is a link to Seven's video from the Trail Race:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1oyaVlfA0AHere is a link to Fortune's Video from the Trail Race:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xpe2wHh762M&feature=relmfu